Tidal Constituents

vibes of this week: lit, summer nostalgic, forever young

Lowkey I know the weather is kinda bad right now, so think of this as a way of escapism #midnight sun as Zara Larsson says!

The Outer Banks (Low Country) of South Carolina was made popular through the hit Netflix tv show "Outer Banks." We can characterize the "Low Country" of South Carolina as an estuarine. An estuary is are areas where freshwater and saltwater mix, which creates a habitat for biodiversity and unique plant and animal communities [1]. The coast of the South Carolina Lowcountry and Southeast Georgia experiences a tidal change around every six hours, two low tides and two high tides a day. The difference in water levels between low and high tide can range between four to six feet on an average day [2].

Most common Tidal Constituents for Charleston, South Carolina [3]:

M2: Principal lunar semidiurnal constituent

S2: Principal solar semidiurnal constituent

N2: Larger lunar elliptic semidiurnal constituent

Originally there were Native Americans in Lowcountry, but due to colonization, disease, and warfare, the population dwindled. A few of the surviving ones are: Escamacu (the largest and southernmost tribe); Hoya (a much smaller tribe, near the Escamacu); Edisto (on the Broad River), and others [4]. Currently, South Carolina's "Low Country" is facing damaging coastal projects such as destroying and filling wetlands and deforestation. However, SELC recently passed a new city ordinance which bans “slab-on-grade” foundations in the 100-year floodplain. The building practice — which involves piling dirt, pouring concrete, and building directly on a concrete slab — can exacerbate flood risks for neighboring areas and is expensive and difficult to upgrade [5].

I hope y'all like this playlist, happy listening!!!

Cite:

[1] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “What is an estuary?”, NOAA Ocean Service. [Online]. Available: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/estuary.html. Accessed: Jan. 30, 2026.

[2] N. Dixon, “The Tidal Patterns of the South Carolina Lowcountry and Southeast Georgia,” National Weather Service – Charleston, SC, Weather.gov. [Online]. Available: https://www.weather.gov/chs/tides. Accessed: Jan. 30, 2026

[3] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Harmonic Constituents for Station 8665530 (Charleston, SC),” NOAA Tides & Currents. [Online]. Available: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/harcon.html?id=8.... Accessed: Jan. 30, 2026.

[4] National Endowment for the Humanities, Nic Butler, Ph.D., “The First People of the South Carolina Lowcountry,” Charleston County Public Library – Charleston Time Machine. [Online]. Available: https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/first.... Accessed: Jan. 30, 2026.

[5] Southern Environmental Law Center, “South Carolina Update – Fall 2024,” Southern Environmental Law Center. [Online]. Available: https://www.selc.org/south-carolina_fall_winter_20.... Accessed: Jan. 30, 2026.